Rincón de La Vieja National Park

Size: 14,084 hectares.Distance from San José:264 kilometers.Trails: Yes.Dry season: January through March.

Rincón de la Vieja is a strato
volcano that soars 1,916 meters above sea level and spreads over
400 square kilometers. It was formed by the simultaneous explosion
of several volcanic cones that grew and merged into a single mountain. It has been possible to identify 9 sites of volcanic activity on
the summit. One is active and the others are slowly eroding.

Hot springs form small streams with very hot water. Solfataric lakes (containing sulfur dioxide) fill small hollows with
constantly bubbling muddy water. There's also vapor holes, which
become specially active during the rainy season.

Studies carried out in the park have identified 257
species of birds, including the three-wattled bellbird and the emerald
toucanet.

There's also a small amount of mammals that live in the park, like
deer, peccaries, sloths, pumas and tapirs.

Rincon de la vieja is located northeast of Liberia, in
Guanacaste. The park is usually reached by taking a 21 kilometer
dirt road, best traveled on a four wheel
drive vehicle.